200th Arab victim this year: Woman killed, 3 hurt as grenade thrown at pastry shop in the north

Lina Qassem Zidan, in her 50s, hit by blast after entering shop in Kafr Manda to buy goods; police arrest 3 suspects in the murder

By ToI Staff Today, 5:46 pm
Images from the scene of a grenade attack on a pastry shop in Kafr Manda, northern Israel, November 14, 2026 (Video screenshot via X; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A woman in her fifties was killed, and three other people were injured Saturday when a grenade was thrown at a pastry shop in the northern town of Kafr Manda, police and the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.

The woman was initially rushed to Haifa’s Rambam Medical Center in critical condition, but later died of her wounds. She was identified as Lina Qassem Zidan of Daliyat al-Karmel.

The other three, one of them Zidan’s husband, were taken to local hospitals; two of them were in moderate condition and one lightly hurt.

Zidan was purchasing goods when the grenade exploded in the shop.

Police said shortly after the incident that three suspects were arrested and captured the vehicle they had allegedly used in the attack.

Police Commissioner Daniel Levy was at the scene with other top brass, the force said.

According to the Abraham Initiatives group, which tracks killings in the Arab community, Zidan is the 200th Arab killed in a criminal incident in Israel since the start of the year, and the 14th female.

According to the coexistence watchdog, last year was the bloodiest on record, with 252 victims, accounting for over 80% of homicides in Israel, where Arab citizens make up roughly 20% of the population.

A suspect in a deadly attack in Kafr Manda is seen shortly after his arrest by police, November 14, 2026 (Israel Police)

The group has recorded an approximate doubling in annual homicide rates in Arab society since National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir took office in late 2022. It has accused Ben Gvir of neglecting the skyrocketing homicides in Arab society and gutting programs meant to confront the crime wave. Ben Gvir and his party have defended what they describe as increased police action.

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